Correction (4 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources between 3 October 2026 and 4 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
Fifteen dollars is a real budget at a price board. This page covers six places, all in Footscray, and each one has at least one item printed under that line when we checked.
Every place was confirmed at two independent sources, and every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources. Some are snacks or starters rather than full meals, and we say so. Each entry ends with one move.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fried chicken sides and snacks | Hot Star Chicken (Footscray) | Sweet Potato Fries | $5.70 |
| Nepalese starters | Pasa Ya Kitchen | Himalayan Spiced Potato [GF ] | $12.50 |
| Cafe breakfast plates | Footscray Milking Station | Eggs Your Way | $12.00 |
| All-day breakfast and rolls | West 48 | Eggs Your Way | $14 |
| Vegan burger and small plates | Hail Lilith | Curried Potatoes | $13 |
| Bakery flatbreads | Pyramids Bakery | Zaatar | A$4.00 |
Hot Star Chicken (Footscray) — Shop 2 / 32 Leeds Street, Footscray VIC 3011
The price list on the Hot Star site covers its chain stores, so these are chain prices and not Footscray-specific. Sweet Potato Fries are $5.70 and Regular Fries are $3.70. Crispy Wings (6pcs) are $8.70, Salt & Pepper Squid is $9.00 and the Hot Star Large Chicken is $12.10. Its site lists 11am-7pm (Sun-Fri) and 10am-7pm (Sat) for the Footscray shop.
On the menu (copied from hotstarmelb.com.au on 3 October 2026):
- Sweet Potato Fries: $5.70
- Hot Star Large Chicken: $12.10
- Crispy Wings (6pcs): $8.70
- Salt & Pepper Squid: $9.00
The move: Pair Crispy Wings (6pcs) at $8.70 with Regular Fries at $3.70, and use click and collect.
Pasa Ya Kitchen — 56 Irving Street, Footscray VIC 3011
These are starters, not mains, but they are the printed prices under the ceiling. The dine-in menu prints Himalayan Spiced Potato [GF ] at $12.50, Pani Puri [VE ] at $9.50 and Nepalese Chatpate [VE ] at $10.50. Samosa [VE ] 1 pc is $4. Pani puri is a crisp hollow shell filled and dipped in spiced water. The site says it is fully licensed.
On the menu (copied from pasayakitchen.com.au on 3 October 2026):
- Himalayan Spiced Potato [GF ]: $12.50
- Pani Puri [VE ]: $9.50
- Nepalese Chatpate [VE ]: $10.50
- Samosa [VE ] 1 pc: $4
What it is: A Nepalese sit-down menu where the cheap items are the entrees, so order a few to share.
Footscray Milking Station — 35 Bunbury Street, Footscray VIC 3011
The cafe’s food menu prints Scrambled Breakfast Wrap at $10.00 and Sausage Roll & Relish at $6.50. Eggs Your Way is $12.00 and Basket Chips are $8.00. The menu also lists a Mushroom Toastie marked PLANT BASED and an Almond Croissant at $6.00. Broadsheet calls it “Solid coffee and a locally famous pulled-pork panini”, and the OpenStreetMap tag lists Mo-Fr 06:30-15:00 and Sa-Su 07:30-15:00. The ordering page says digital ordering is temporarily unavailable.
On the menu (copied from meandu.app on 4 October 2026):
- Eggs Your Way: $12.00
- Scrambled Breakfast Wrap: $10.00
- Sausage Roll & Relish: $6.50
- Basket Chips: $8.00
The move: Order at the counter, since the ordering page says digital ordering is temporarily unavailable.
West 48 — 48 Essex Street, Footscray VIC 3011
West 48 prints a short list under the line. Fruit Toast is $12, and Eggs Your Way, Ham Cheese Croissant and Bacon & Egg Roll are each $14. Broadsheet describes it as all-day breakfast with vegan options. Its site lists MON / SAT 8 - 2 and SUN / PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 9 - 2, and its menu footer prints a surcharge for weekends and another for public holidays.
On the menu (copied from west48.com.au and west48.com.au/West-48-Sandwich-Menu-2026.pdf on 4 October 2026):
- Eggs Your Way: $14
- Fruit Toast: $12
- Ham Cheese Croissant: $14
- Bacon & Egg Roll: $14
Cash or card: We could not find a published payment policy, so go on a weekday to avoid the printed surcharge.
Hail Lilith — 40A Leeds Street, Footscray VIC 3011
Hail Lilith calls itself a bar and micro restaurant, and its site says the menu is entirely vegan and a sample only. It prints Cheeseburger at $12, Curried Potatoes at $13 and Caesar Salad at $14. Crème Brulee (gf nf) is $11. Its site lists Thurs & Fri 5-late and Saturday 12-late, and says “Intimate venue- Small groups only.”
On the menu (copied from haillilith.com.au on 4 October 2026):
- Curried Potatoes: $13
- Cheeseburger: $12
- Caesar Salad: $14
- Crème Brulee (gf nf): $11
The move: Go for the Cheeseburger at $12, but check the day’s menu first, because the site says it is subject to availability.
Pyramids Bakery — 38 Irving Street, Footscray VIC 3011
This is a bakery with an online ordering page. It prints Zaatar at A$4.00 and Cheese Man’oush at A$6.00, described as classic haloumi or mozzarella. Meat Man’oush is A$7.00 and Falafel Pocket is A$12.00. A man’oush is a baked flatbread with a topping, and zaatar is a dried herb blend. The OpenStreetMap tag lists Mo-Sa 08:00-20:00.
On the menu (copied from pyramidsbakery.com.au on 4 October 2026):
- Zaatar: A$4.00
- Cheese Man’oush: A$6.00
- Meat Man’oush: A$7.00
- Falafel Pocket: A$12.00
What it is: Flatbread by the piece, so grab a Meat Man’oush at A$7.00 and a Zaatar at A$4.00 and call it lunch.
Quick answers
What can I eat in Footscray for under five dollars?
Going by the printed prices on this page, Hot Star lists Regular Fries at $3.70, and its list is a chain price list. Pasa Ya Kitchen prints Samosa [VE ] 1 pc at $4. Pyramids Bakery lists Zaatar at A$4.00.
Where can I get a cheap breakfast in Footscray?
Footscray Milking Station prints Scrambled Breakfast Wrap at $10.00 and Eggs Your Way at $12.00. West 48 prints Fruit Toast at $12 and Bacon & Egg Roll at $14, with weekend and public holiday surcharges printed on its menu footer.
Is there a cheap vegan meal in Footscray?
Hail Lilith says its menu is entirely vegan and a sample only, and prints Cheeseburger at $12. Footscray Milking Station lists a Mushroom Toastie marked PLANT BASED, and Pasa Ya Kitchen marks Pani Puri [VE ] at $9.50.
Where can I get cheap fried chicken in Footscray?
Hot Star Chicken lists Hot Star Large Chicken at $12.10 and Crispy Wings (6pcs) at $8.70. The price list covers all Hot Star stores, so these are chain prices and not specific to the Footscray shop.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources between 3 October 2026 and 4 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, the Australian Good Food Guide, the places’ own websites and Broadsheet. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, between 3 October 2026 and 4 October 2026, the date given beside each menu. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Hot Star Chicken (Footscray): openstreetmap.org/6033469827, agfg.com.au/hot-star-footscray-82646, hotstarmelb.com.au
- Pasa Ya Kitchen: agfg.com.au/pasa-ya-kitchen-149303, pasayakitchen.com.au, pasayakitchen.com.au/dine-in-menu
- Footscray Milking Station: openstreetmap.org/759332677, meandu.app/food, broadsheet.com.au/best-cafes-footscray
- West 48: openstreetmap.org/779272069, west48.com.au, broadsheet.com.au/best-cafes-footscray, west48.com.au/West-48-Food-Menu-2026-v3.pdf, west48.com.au/West-48-Sandwich-Menu-2026.pdf
- Hail Lilith: openstreetmap.org/12791891001, haillilith.com.au, broadsheet.com.au/best-bars-footscray
- Pyramids Bakery: openstreetmap.org/13606809301, pyramidsbakery.com.au
